“We are now known as the Sidney Kimmel College at Thomas Jefferson University,” said university president Stephen Klasko (far left in photo below), thanking philanthropist and South Philadelphia native Sidney Kimmel for the $110-million gift that prompted Jeff to rename its medical college.

“There’s only been four other gifts of this size in the nation,” Klasko noted, “so when you start to compare yourselves with UCLA and USC and Mt. Sinai, people say, ‘Wow.’ ”

(Photo by Mike DeNardo)

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At a ceremony, Kimmel called Jefferson the soul of Philadelphia.

“It will be at the forefront at the delivery of medical education and health care, as well as central to the city’s economic wellbeing,” Kimmel said.